Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-07-07
fresh expenses it made her husband
fairly shudder to contemplate.
Cl,, hoJ unfolJoJ -, oLou;,LoI -,

puc Hau uHioiucu HcT CHcTlSucu pll
as they sat at the breakfast table. an
without noticing her husband S silenc
had enlarged on the pleasure she anti
cipated in giving brilliant party OF
Christmas night. She looked up II
surprise when he said rather sobery
1--WE will talk it over tonight, Helen
in the meantime you'd better do moth.
ing about it," But she answered ra.
dainty:
"Oh, you'll approve every detail l
have planned. am sure you will. I've
been thinking of it for weeks and
must have the cards out at once. so
don't say word, Jack boy!"
Never before had John Chisholm felt
SO thoroughly miserable on leaving
home for his business as he did that
morning, and events seemed to conspire
to increase rather than case his mental
disquietude.
At market he met his minister, DR..
Price, and the provision dealer was
half banteringly advising the reverend
gentleman to engage his Christmas
turkey. 1t was only two weeks. he ar
gued, before the day would arrive, and
turkeys might be scarce by that time.
The answer of the good man smote
John Chisholm to the heart
II expect no turkey dinners this year."
he said; IAN inconvenient expense in
the way of sickness had to be met, and
now that | can say owe no man any
thing at the close of the year-except
to love all-there is no money left for
luxuries. But them" he added checrily,
IL thank God we are all well and need
no margin for Injuries.
Then. on leaving the market. Mr..
Chisholm encountered the nearest re-
lative he had in the world, Uncle limo
thy Chisholm, luckless old man wi no
was forever BE- wailing his hard, unjust
fate. For Uncle Timothy declared and
believed himself tho rightful owner of
certain plots of land within the city
limits, which, had they really been his
PiVPoi y "oulu HdNc CoHStlLuIeu MIN
a rich man forthwith. But Uncle
Ii notify and his claims" had become
a sort of forlorn jest, although his
nephew treated him kindly and fire..
quently invited him to dinner of
Sunday, when this unacknowledged
claims we sure to furn ish the doleful
tonic of conversation
This morning Uncle Timothy was in
a particularly uncomfortable frame of
mind, for q lawyer who had been look
ing into his case had reported unfavor-
ably as to the results of his investiga-
tons. and where would the money
come from to pay the lawyer?
Arrived at the Office he was not
cheered by finding that the prospect
was lie would b. alone for several
hours, and a meeting of the directors
was to be held that day. All the NOR
ming the figures of the great ledger
seemed burn NC themselves into the
treasurer's brain, and the haunting |
score of those unpaid bills kept parad-
ing before his excited vision. Then |
the probable cost OF such q reception
as his wife was bent on giving caused
a rapid succession of side calculations
not consoling to his perturb3d mind.
But this was not the worst of it.
For more dreadful and dstracting
than all else, came the haunting de-
mon of terrible uggestion-not pre-
S enting itself for the first time-which
kept lodging in and out of his tired
brain and dancing before his troubled
eyes.
1t was soon after lunch that. still
alone in the Office, he suddenly stopped
writing and stool motionless. as if half
para yzed by some dreaded revelation.
As he gazed, spell-bound, on the
open page before him, he whispered
hoarsely:
''Ah. here is where it could be ac-
complshed easily enough" For with
the shrewd. accurate forecastng of the
skilled account be bad seen and instantly
realized just where false entry on that
clean page would enable him to wipe
out his outstanding liabilities and render
1t needless to disappoint his dear little
wife concerning the Christmas party.
Only one brief entry and the relief he
would experience.
Every nerve in his body tingled and
as grasping his pen he essay
ed to put in the fateful line. He paused
for an instant, angry that his hand had
twitched nervously, then with viole mt
start and curse the pen slipped from
his nerveless fingers to the floor
The office boy passing the closed
ioor at that critical moment when
John Chisholm was trying to steady
MS hand, had sung out in what to the
mans quivering senses seemed
weird, gibbering voice:
ION the brink, on the brink"
Only snatch from the chorus of an
Did song. but the poor treasurer, with
mis- hands clasped behind him, strobe
rapidly up and down the long office,
MS mind filled with pictures crowding
and yet fast and yet faster before
his disordered imagination.
In his overweight state he seemed
10 consider the deed really done,
Tor at last he exclaimed, .Tll take il
out! I'll take it out; it shau't appear
against me ~ And Selling the fallen
pen he stared bankly at the last line
in the ledger, until fully realizing the
truth, he said family:
THANK God, admit entered it aft
er all ~
A few moments later clerk entered
and Mr.. Chisholm started for home
saying he should not return to the
office that day,
As Helen Chisholm. an underlined
terror at her heart. lowered about the
gerat chair into which her husband
had flung himself, pale and haggard.
implored to know what could have